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Cintas Catalog Tries On QR Code

Hospitality industry apparel merchant Cintas Corp. unveiled its 2011 Uniform Book on June 1. In addition to more than 270 new styles, fits and colors, the catalog includes a QR (quick response) code that links readers to online videos and other resources to make shopping easier.

Using a smart phone, consumers can take a picture of the code to be directed to a website with more that 15 product videos, says Tracia Clendenen, product marketing manager for Cintas. “One of our main goals for this year’s catalog was to introduce new technology into the book,” she says.

Cintas originally wanted to put QR codes throughout the catalog, “but due to the size requirements of the artwork, we could only place it on the table of contents,” Clendenen says. (Experts recommend using a minimum size of 32 × 32 mm or 1.25 × 1.25 in. for QR codes to guarantee that all camera phones on the market can properly read the barcode, although newer phones can read smaller codes.)

A QR code is “a fun way to get customers on the web to view content,” Clendenen says. In the future, “we may be able to use the QR codes in a new way,” she notes.

Cintas is also in the process of redesigning its ecommerce website, Clendenen says. She declined to offer details about new site features, but the merchant expects the redesign to be completed by the end of the summer.

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